LESS than two years before the country co-hosts the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the top man of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas calling the shots in its preparations stays at the helm.
Al Panlilio was re-elected SBP president for a second term, the cage body announced yesterday after a board meeting last Friday.
“I am thankful for the continued vote of confidence from the movers and shakers of the Philippine basketball community,” Panlilio said in a statement.
“Now that the elections are over, it’s time to put in even more work as we traverse through this pandemic while still having our eyes fixed on our co-hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. I’m excited to continue working with the re-elected officials and welcome the new members of the SBP’s Board of Trustees,” he added.
Panlilio first assumed the position in 2016.
Apart from Panlilio, also keeping their positions are Sen. Sonny Angara and congressman Robbie Puno, who were re-elected as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.
Manny V. Pangilinan, who was Panlilio’s predecessor, will continue serving as SBP chairman emeritus.
Executive director Sonny Barrios, treasurer Ricky Palou, and corporate secretary Atty. Marievic Añonuevo were also re-elected to their posts.
PBA chairman and TNT Governor Ricky Vargas was elected vice president, with Commissioner Willie Marcial, Terrafirma Governor Bobby Rosales, and Alaska Governor Dickie Bachman winning seats in the Board of Trustees representing the PBA and PBA D-League.
The Board of Trustees included representatives from five different areas covering the entire country.
The SBP welcomed representatives from the professional, commercial, and school sectors, including Mark Molina of the UAAP and Dax Castellano of the NCAA, and the women’s sector in Monica Jorge.
The Philippines will host Group A games of the World Cup qualifiers in February next year.
These games are two Gilas -South Korea tiffs, two New Zealand-India matches, Gilas-New Zealand, Gilas-India, South Korea-India, and South Korea-New Zealand games.
Initially, the Gilas-South Korea and New Zealand-India matches were set on Nov. 26 and 29.
Japan will host two Group B games of the November window in Sendai: China-Japan on Nov. 27 and Japan-China a day later.
Both games between Australia and Chinese Taipei will be played during the February window.
An all-amateur Philippine five proved its worth in the third window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Clark where the team completed an emphatic 3-0 sweep and 6-0 record overall.
Gilas also saw action in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgrade, Serbia.
